A Baxter County jury has convicted a 33-year-old man on multiple felony charges in connection with the 2020 death of a Mountain Home man and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Following a 5-day trial, Ryan James Lindsey, 33, was found guilty Friday, September 18, 2026, of Capital Murder, Kidnapping, 2nd-Degree Battery and Arson in connection with the death of Cody Stradford, 35, of Mountain Home.
The jury sentenced Lindsey to life imprisonment without parole, plus an additional 15 years and $12,500 in fines.
Investigation Began After Body Found In Burned Vehicle
The case dates back to December 2020, when Stradford was found dead inside his burned vehicle in rural Baxter County.
The Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division, Baxter County Sheriff’s Office and Mountain Home Police Department conducted the investigation.
Investigators determined Stradford had been assaulted at a residence in Mountain Home before he was moved to the rural location where his body and burned vehicle were later discovered.
Lindsey Arrested In Texas
Lindsey was arrested several days after Stradford’s death in Brownsville, Texas.
He was subsequently returned to Baxter County to face charges stemming from the investigation.
The case eventually proceeded to a Baxter County Circuit Court jury trial, which lasted 5 days before jurors returned guilty verdicts on all 4 charges.
Life Without Parole
The jury convicted Lindsey of:
Capital Murder
Kidnapping
2nd-Degree Battery
Arson
Lindsey received a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, plus 15 additional years and $12,500 in fines.
He will serve his sentence in the custody of the Arkansas Division of Corrections.
Authorities said cases remain pending involving other individuals who were arrested and charged in connection with Stradford’s death. Those pending defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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